Chapter 3: No place like London

Uncle Harry had been right, aunt Maggie did take it surprisingly well, she immediately sent a telegram to her friend Mrs Hudson asking if she had a room, Mrs Hudson responded quickly saying she did have one if occasional noise didn't bother Nancy. When the carriage arrived the next day Nancy was full of dread for the first time in 8 years she would return to the city that housed her darkest nightmares, her uncle gripped her hand as they said their goodbyes,

'Don't worry sweet pea, it'll be fine you'll see' she smiled and hugged her uncle, with a new feeling of confidence that only her uncle could bestow upon her. Her aunt Maggie had a handkerchief clasped over her mouth and was trying not to cry, Styck ambled out of the house his walking stick clasped in his hand to say his goodbyes,

'Remember everything I taught you?'

'All of it'

'Make sure you look after Lenore it's amazing that girl has lasted so long in London, lovely girl but nothing but air between her ears' Nancy stifled a laugh,

'I will, look after both of them for me wont you?'

'Course I will, now go on before you change your mind' Nancy gave them all one last smile and wave before climbing into the carriage.

The carriage ride was long and Nancy soon found herself drifting off to sleep. She was back in that red glazed room, she felt utterly weak, as the bodies of her family swayed gently above her she realised she was lying on the kitchen table. She lifted her head slowly the man was at the end of the table with his back to her and the door, this was her only chance. She slid quietly off the table and crept through the open door, she kept her footsteps as light as possible avoiding the creaky floorboards, but it wasn't long before she heard a crash in the kitchen…he knew. She ran full pelt down the hallway the man followed she reached the door but felt a damp gloved hand claw at her shoulder before she knew it she was thrown into a wall, her head crashed against it but she was determined to escape him. She pulled herself back up but as quickly as she was on her feet she was knocked off them again blow after blow rained down on her, knocking the air out of her lungs, she gave up there was no escaping this man. She lay back and watched as he drew a blood stained knife from his side, he leant down over her his hot breath in her face and traced the edge of the knife over her cheek. The knife that had slaughtered her family, she reached up and pulled the scarf from his face the horror she already felt doubled inside of her at the sight, half the mans face was burnt, horrifically scarred and red. His anger broke his quiet eerie composure and he let out an angry roar plunging the knife into the left side of her chest he dragged it slowly enjoying her screams. Then it stopped the knife didn't move anymore the man had been hit in the back of the head he got up and staggered up the stairs as Nancy became aware of the shouts surrounding the house she then noticed a door to the side open and a cold wind whipped through the hallway, a man stood over her, her vision fading she took in his slightly dishevelled appearance and the scent of pipe smoke and whiskey as he cradled her carefully in his arms, but she couldn't make out his face before her world went black.

A sharp bump in the road woke Nancy; she felt her face, no sweat, no panic, and no fear. She had never remembered that before, never had she been able to remember how she survived or got out of the house and now she knew there had been someone else there, a man who had saved her, now her big question was who was he?

A hour later they arrived in London the fog and noise greeted her as if she had only been gone 5 minutes, London hadn't changed, the cobblestones, the people, the very air around them hadn't changed at all.

The carriage pulled up along Baker Street to a large boarding house, a woman was on the doorstep waiting to greet her,

'You must be Nancy, I haven't seen you since you were barely an infant, my you have grown into a beautiful young woman, come in come in you must be cold and tired'

'Thank you Mrs Hudson, it's very good of you to take me in at such short notice'

'Oh no trouble at all one of my tenants recently left so I had a free flat you are above quite a noisy tenant I do hope he wont bother you too much'

'I'm sure it'll be fine, thank you again'.

Mrs Hudson showed Nancy up to her flat, she had been right about the noise as they passed the door a gunshot could quite clearly be heard to come from the noisy tenant.

'Do excuse me Nancy, will you be alright settling in on your own I must go and speak to him about the noise'

'No that's quite all right I'll be fine, if you don't mind me asking what exactly does he do that requires all that. Er…noise?'

'Officially he calls himself an inventor, though I believe he has a few freelance jobs in another vocation' with that another gunshot shook the house,

'Oh for goodness sake, excuse me Nancy have a pleasant night'

'Thank you again Mrs Hudson' Nancy shouted after her stifling a laugh.

' I could get used to it here' she thought to herself smiling.